We’ve all heard about the upcoming 5G standard and its promise of higher bandwidth and lower-latency mobile coverage. However, 5G operates at much higher frequencies than 4G-LTE. The current LTE systems operate below the 3.6-GHz range. The first-generation 5G systems will operate in the sub-6-GHz range (in the unlicensed spectrum between 3.5 GHz and 6 GHz). Newer 5G networks will support even higher bandwidths and thus will have to operate in the millimeter-wavelength (mmWave) range.
5G networks will help realize data speeds of up to 10 Gb/s, which will not only bring about faster mobile downloads, but also enable smart cities, connected cars, and the Internet of Things (IoT) to operate seamlessly.